Guwahati, July 7: A team of Assam’s women cricketers will go on an exposure tour to Pune early next month.

Disclosing this, Assam Cricket Association (ACA) secretary Bikash Baruah told The Telegraph today that a squad comprising senior as well as under-19 probables from the state will travel to Pune and play in a series of arranged matches there.

He said the team would be accompanied by coach Deveika Sathe Palshikar, a national team player and a level one coach from the National Cricket Academy.

“Our girls have made remarkable improvement under Deveika during the last few weeks. However, they are yet to get the necessary exposure in regard to matches outside the state, which is vital for development of match temperament. So we have decided to send the girls for an exposure trip to Pune,” Baruah said.

“We have also been told that our girls have improved not only on their skills but also on endurance and fitness due to the tireless efforts of the coach and support staff. The exposure tour will help them exercise their skills and test their fitness in different climatic conditions,” the ACA secretary added.

Commending Palshikar as an “outstanding coach with total dedication towards the game”, Baruah said the association intends to engage her as the coach of the state senior team in the coming season if she can manage to devote time.

“We would like to field her as a coach-cum-player because she is still a mainstay of the national team. We have also asked her to look for two more women players as outstation professionals for the senior team in the season ahead,” Baruah said.

The Indian cricket board’s rules for the women’s state teams, too, allow three guest players. Palshikar is yet to respond to the ACA proposal to play for the state.